Permate Navigates Innovation and Risk in Vietnam’s Competitive Affiliate Space

The affiliate marketing sector in Vietnam is witnessing the emergence of an ambitious new player. Permate, founded by Nguyen Duy and a young team, is attempting to establish the country’s first “affiliate marketplace” model. This concept has proved successful in international markets but remains relatively unfamiliar locally.

A “Marketplace” Model Instead of a “Network”

In a recent interview with Nguyen Anh Tin, the founder of the “Tâm Sự Affiliate – MMO” community, Nguyen Duy provided detailed insights into Permate’s unique model.

“Permate is not just an ordinary affiliate platform like the other networks operating in Vietnam. We are run according to a marketplace model, similar to how Shopee operates in e-commerce,” Duy shared.

Accordingly, on Permate’s platform, brands upload their campaigns, set their commission rates, and directly support publishers. Publishers only have to choose suitable campaigns and launch them. This eliminates the intermediary role in campaign management typically found in traditional affiliate networks, thereby increasing transparency and optimizing benefits for both parties.

Although the affiliate marketplace model has already been successfully implemented internationally by companies like Impact, ShareASale, CJ, and Awin, it’s still a fresh concept for the Vietnamese market.

Challenges from Change

When asked about difficulties introducing a new model, Duy admitted that change often encounters psychological barriers. “Anything too new is always difficult to accept at first, but the Permate team believes that once both sides recognize this model’s value, they will embrace it.”

Permate is prepared to invest considerable time and resources to educate both brands and publishers in the market. It’s a costly yet necessary strategy to shift users’ awareness and habits.

International Experience as Support

Permate is backed by Interate Corp, a company active in the U.S. affiliate market for the past decade. This partly explains the confidence of the young founding team.

“My co-founders and I all started as publishers, then built our affiliate network in the U.S. market,” Duy explained, “Over the past 10 years, the accumulated experience gives the Permate founding team great confidence.” 

Strategy and Vision

Permate has completed the required legal procedures and is licensed by the Ministry of Industry and Trade to operate as an e-commerce marketplace in Vietnam. The company has also developed a comprehensive plan for 2025, which starts with engaging the “Tâm Sự Affiliate – MMO” community.

“This community brings together many publishers and influencers in the MMO field,” Duy explained. “It’s also a community known to be quite discerning. If Permate is recognized and trusted by this group, that’s already a great success.”

When asked how Permate wants to be perceived, Duy didn’t hesitate: “We hope for an amicable view and support. We’re a startup made up of young people who dare to think big, dare to play big, and dare to do what nobody else dares.”

Where Ambition Meets Reality

In a Vietnamese affiliate market considered “stagnant,” the arrival of Permate is a breath of fresh air. Thanks to their innovative methodology, publishers and companies seeking a new income development channel have something new to work with.

But the big question is: Will this model work in Vietnam? Can this “disruptive” strategy sway publishers and companies to alter their practices?

From the perspective of several industry experts, the biggest challenge for Permate is not just building the technical platform but also attracting enough brands and publishers to create a sufficiently large and sustainable ecosystem.

“The supply-demand equation is the crux for any marketplace platform,” noted one expert. “Permate must solve the ‘chicken-and-egg’ problem, how to get enough brands to attract publishers, and enough publishers to attract brands, especially in the early stages.”

Although the outcome remains to be seen, Permate’s arrival has undoubtedly sparked lively discussions within Vietnam’s MMO community. They have posed a big question: Is Vietnam’s affiliate market time to undergo a groundbreaking change?

Time will tell whether Permate’s ambition is too idealistic. But one thing is certain: the community and market are closely watching their journey, which is full of curiosity and expectation.